Forgive me, but I've noticed on these boards when a student is afraid of a overly harsh clinical instructor, there seems to be a running theme: angry clinical instructors that embarrass students, intimidate them, and make them afraid of them are the clinical instructors you want, because they make you work hard?
Huh?
This is grossly incorrect, in my humble opinion. I had a clinical instructor who picked on only me in a class of eight people. She would actually chart for other students, was kind to them. When it came to me, she embarrassed me in front of patients, their families, and other staff. She talked down to me, she consistently made me feel that I was not going to be a good nurse.
Absolutely EVERYTHING I did was wrong, and nothing I did was right. Even when there were no mistakes on my charting, she made it a point NOT to tell me how well I was doing, yet did it with other students.
It had a horrible effect on me: I lost 25 pounds, I was stressed out beyond belief. I was not sleeping, and it took a toll on other classes I was taking. I am an A student, and I began to get grades that were below that. It was then that I took control of my life.
I realized that when there is a person, instructor, boss, manager, who you can NEVER, EVER PLEASE, despite how hard you work, and how correct your work may be, there may be a personality disorder there, and you may need to simply talk to other faculty who may be able to talk to the instructor. You may just need to realize that IT'S NOT YOU, IT'S THEM. And that's ok. It's ok to realize that you are doing your best, and there are people who you cannot please. But lateral violence, nurses being mean and cruel to each other, and younger nurses accepting this attitude and even praising it is baffling to me.
This harshness and uncaring attitude that some clinical instructors show to students is what fuels lateral violence in the nursing profession, and it makes being a nurse more about personality conflicts than taking care of patients. In nursing school, I have seen more times than I care to remember other nurses who are mean and cruel to new nurses, or me as a nursing student. I don't cower in a corner like many nursing students, I stand up to nurses like that, and demand to be treated with respect.
I can understand that nursing students may be afraid to cross these clinical instructors, but what kind of nurse will you be, and how can you advocate for patients, if you cannot advocate for yourself? You need courage to be a nurse, and it seems that the message on many boards is: "do what you can with mean clinical instructors, be silent, accept the abuse, and move on". This just seems strange to me since as nurses, we need to be strong for our patients.
There is a nursing shortage going on, and we don't need students dropping out of programs because they have clinical instructors stuck in the past who think it's acceptable to embarrass and intimidate students and create a hostile class environment. It's unnecessary, and we as nurses need to acknowledge it.
I think it's high time that abusive instructors and nurses who practice lateral violence to other nurses and CNA's realize just how they are making this nursing shortage worse, by discouraging bright and talented nurses who don't need the cruelty. For those of you who are reading this who practice this behavior and you know who you are: Stop It.
And we wonder why so many nurses leave the profession.
I've heard other students are getting ready to hire an attorney, sue and contact the media....even hitlers....reign came to an end.c it's too bad nursibg instructor can't control themselves and be professional.....but thats,why laws are made and then used.
Hello I am the mother of four children following a dream I have had of becoming a nurse for a long time, I have been raising my kids and working on and off as a teacher's aide. I am 51 and I have applied to LPN school which starts in January. I met with the nursing director of the school she was sweet and friendly and knew I was eager to learn so she recommended I get CNA training in the mean time. Here is where my experience collides I get into a CNA class with an RN instructor who just hated me for being shy, I needed to warm up for the skills performances and she just kept harping about how I am doing badly on them when I knew that I was rapidly getting better. She kept saying your having trouble and I kept humble and appealed to her and emphasized my respect for her and desire to learn. She talked a lot about herself and took a lot of smoke breaks she also admitted she had anger issues during lectures. Anyway, she would have us lined up outside to wait our turn to show skills, when into about two and a half wks into the course I was taking my turn to demonstrate a skill I walked in enthusiastically and ready to perform, one little mistake I walked in w/ the skills sheet rolled up in my hand I immediately corrected myself and re entered to start .... Well she was livid and( I pointed out to her that she was angry and her decision was based on her emotions) she found this reason to ask me to leave, of course the D.O.N backed her up they even tried to say that I would cause an accident to a person because of the paper in my hand or I was trying to cheat. So because I knew I was leaving, I graciously told them a human being in my charge would certainly fare better than paper, thanked them and left. I am disheartened because I tend to be an altruist even though I know better and I am a hard worker obviously at my age I have to put forth even more effort I do plan on going to the school and I want you guys to know that it was hard for me to post this because I like to take responsibility for my actions. What do you think anybody have a similar experience?
Nursing instructors should be supportive for new students. Instead some clinical instructors are there to make students feel unfit and unqualified. Apparently some people no matter how much they are educated it is just doesn't change their personality.
Hi, I am so glad I found this post. I am having a major issue with my clinical instructor. I am new to nursing and a month and a half into my program. I have a clinical instructor told me (in front of my whole class) to get my hearing checked and she doesn't know what I am going to do as a nursing student because I couldn't hear the sounds of the blood pressure. I had her scream at me because I was asking questions in lab able clinical when lab is for lab and clinical is for clinical. I dread clinical every week and physically get sick to my stomach when I go because i know it is going to be a hostile environment. There are so many more situations that I don't have time to write them. Listen, I am not looking for Polly Anna, I'm looking for a healthy nursing educator who understands what a nursing student is going through and has some empathy. I can't learn in this environment; it's debiliating. However, I will not let this unhappy woman break me either.
Recently just made an account on here. I'm on the same boat sadly and i'm actually a returning student into my program. Unfortunately I myself have a really crappy CI as well. From my own perspective she seems rather opinionated, holds things against students, comes off intimidating, and overall rude. I feel like she has passive-aggressive tendencies and can even come off polarizing. Some people "like" her but other people I know personally who had her "dislike" her. I usually try to do my own thing and stay out of her way, and I do everything within my scope and do what it is I need to do. But she tends to blow things out of proportion. I feel like i've become the sacrificial cow in my clinical group and I plan to hold on and stay strong, but my anxiety with her as gotten REALLY bad and I dread clinicals now.
She felt that I wasn't improving and when I try to defend myself with legitimate reasons, she just claims i'm making up excuses and thus she keeps asking me "why?" but then it's like what's even the point if you're just going to invalidate my remarks. On top of that she hates repeating herself and when you get confused and want clarification she gets really uptight and asks you "What did i just say?!" and overall comes over really intimidatingly rude. I felt pretty humiliated with her this past week. And to top it all off she tends to become very analytical and petty with me. I'll clarify what care i've provided for my patient and then doubt it and ask other staff members for proof when in truth they only stopped by from time to time to catch up on and not see the whole care i provided. Mind you i provided care for my patients as i was taught by the school, nothing more or less. Then she kept giving me petty tasks as if test my patience with her.
Overall i really do think she's an unprofessional instructor. I don't mean to come off as someone victimizing myself as well. I understand that in the nursing profession that we'll deal w/ other nurses we won't like and we'll deal with patients who aren't exactly sweet. But when it comes to nurse-nurse relationships i figure that we're on equal terms, you don't have to like me but just let's just do our jobs and be cordial and follow through w/ policy. And when it comes to patients, i already expect a wide spectrum of personalities to deal with so i'll handle them on my own accord while providing the best patient-centered care.
BUT what i cannot stand is this abusive/rude instructor-student relationships. I feel that out of all that i previously mentioned that this relationship is the most unfair CONSIDERING how CIs have absolute power and word over your performance and grades and if they don't like you they could give you a failing grade. I'm literally worried because my own CI felt that i wasn't improving when i've only made minor errors in minor situations. And this is only my first semester. I'll hang in there ofcourse and continue being diligent in my practice and studies.
I know exactly how you feel. Everything I do in clinical is wrong... even removing a statlock with alcohol just as it says "remove with alcohol" on the statlock adhesive itself. This was on an elderly patients who's skin I surely did not want to tear. My instructor speaks of being professional and prompt, yet she herself rolls her eyes at students, speaks down to us and in front of patients, and is late every morning to the "safety huddle." Wants you to craft your care plan to her wishes' you adapt for the following week' then changes her mind... Wishy washy and inconsistent this instructor will always be.
Im a 4th yr nursing student who lost her self-esteem again because of what happen to my clinical instructor who kept on embarrassing me infront of the staff nurses and supervisors and patients as well yesterday during our duty I can't help myself to cry infront of the patients while my clinical instructor shouting at me. Telling me I should stop schooling or shift to other course. I always think that my doings as a student nurse were wrong. I want to give up
I swear I didn't go to school to be the emotional toilets of clinical instructors except to those who tell me to study, do my job right and stay out of trouble. Tell me I'm wrong and show me how it's done correctly. If those kinds of instructors cannot pull their heads out of their anal cavity, why do they teach? If they cannot handle their job, there are other non-nursing jobs for them. They don't have to deal with students.
Teaching and training students are their primary responsibility--they are passing their knowledge and experience/wisdom. Nursing school is hard; I can't imagine being a clinical instructor someday. I salute those nurses who dedicated themselves in their career and make a better world for their next generation. I can't imagine their frustration on students who may end up murdering a patient by medical error.
I've met the most wonderful nurse educators who are/were firmed and uncruel. Surely, they can make you think twice--study or fail. I won't allow people to change the way I am unless for my own good but being bitter and lack humility. I'm not good at imitating bad behavior. If you're easily to be changed in a bad way, then who are you? Stick to your good quality.
Don't emulate those kinds of nurses. Be the person you don't want to be. Do your best. You aren't there to be liked by your teachers anyway. It boils down to--you're practicing under their license. If they're abusive, allow them to abuse you for a while. That's their POWER; that's where they feel powerful and can give you the most terrifying experience in your nursing school; they can either try to help you pull through or make your nursing school life a little harder.
Remember, they deal with stress more than we do. You need to analyze yourself and your roles in their frustration. We don't know what's like being them. I wish I know but don't need to. I ALWAYS remind myself they are my teachers who want me to succeed. I'm sure they won't be proud to see me in the news for killing my patient by accident.
Purple_roses
1,763 Posts
That's awful that your instructor did that to you. I'm sorry you went through that.